Welcome guest author and photographer Ben Hendel with a brand new adventure…

Just a few days ago, I made a discovery akin to finding the magnetic North Pole. More patriotic than the actual discovery of America. More revolutionary to the culinary world than bacon. I discovered the Citrus Swirl Float. Or, if you’d rather, call it the Ben Palmer.

Citrus Swirl Float

It’s named after me. Mostly. My last name isn’t Palmer, but I figure this is just as important as when Arnold mixed iced tea and lemonade in equal parts, so it’s a good name to borrow.

Unfortunately, the name hasn’t caught on yet, so when I went to order this delectable treat from the Sunshine Tree Terrace, I had to order a Sprite float with Citrus Swirl. Though the journey was different than just saying “I’d like a Ben Palmer, please” the destination was the same: perfection.

2012 draws to a close today, and what a year it’s been!! Here at Disney Food Blog we’ve been following every bit of Disney Dining and Food News, and we’ve narrowed down the list to 10 amazing stories we’d like to share with you!

At the brand new Be Our Guest Restaurant in the Magic Kingdom’s New Fantasyland, guests are now able to indulge in their choice of several French and Belgian beers and wines!

According to Disney Imagineers, it was important to complement the French menu of the restaurant with an excellent beer and wine list.

Kronenberg Beer at Be Our Guest

However, while adult beverages are now being served in the shadow of Cinderella’s castle, they will only be available during Be Our Guest’s Table Service dinner and will not be available “to-go.” So you won’t see anyone strolling around with a cocktail or a glass of wine awaiting their turn on the teacups.

#2: Starbucks Debuts in Disney Parks

It’s no secret that Disney has never been known for fantastic coffee — until now! In 2012 Disney and Starbucks announced a partnership to bring the iconic siren behind the main gates and into the parks.

Mickey and the Siren Unite

Starbucks has already opened its first stop in Disney California Adventure’s Fiddler, Fifer and Practical Cafe and five more locations are planned in the near future.

This refreshing treat hearkens back to the early days of Magic Kingdom, when Disney and the Florida Citrus Commission partnered to have orange treats in the park. The original soft serve was a [Read more…]

We gathered a delicious assortment of food info during our recent visit to Disney World! And we even discovered more about the as-yet-unannounced Epcot French Bakery expansion!!! (So excited about that!)

See some of our treasured finds below (citrus swirl -sigh!) and stay tuned for more discoveries, which we’ll be sharing soon.

The best part? We’re headed back in just one month to gather even more news and details for you! In the meantime, please keep sending along any news, menu items, and or other info you discover on your visits! We appreciate the help!

Disney Food News

Here’s the latest…

The Citrus Swirl is back in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. We hope it stays!

You’ll see photos, reviews, costs, and Disney Dining Plan snack credit information about each featured snack! Be sure to check out http://DFBMiniGuides.com for details about the e-Book, sample pages, and even a list of the bonus items in the book!

EDITOR’S NOTE: This post has been edited and updated to reflect the current availability of Dole Whip in Disney World and Disneyland.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am thrilled to announce that I have now (I think!) ordered Dole Whips or Dole Whip Floats at every possible Disney parks location, and I am now able to write the mother of all Dole Whip blog posts! For a primer on Dole Whips, check out this original Dole Whip post, and this post about where to get Dole Whips outside of Disney’s gates.

Now, let’s take a tour and see how Disney’s locations compare:

Aloha Isle: Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

Even though the original Aloha Isle has switched locations with Sunshine Tree Terrace, it remains true that when in Disney World, this spot is synonymous with Dole Whips. There’s actually not a whole lot more you can get here, so be ready for some non-dairy cold stuff just about any way you slice it!

New Aloha Isle location

Aloha Isle Menu

At this location, you can order a regular pineapple-flavored Dole Whip cup or a Dole Whip float (soft-serve and pineapple juice). Or you can just cool off with a fresh, cold pineapple spear.

Disney World Aloha Isle Dole Whip Float

Walt Disney World’s Polynesian Village Resort

Just across Seven Seas Lagoon from the Magic Kingdom is Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, beloved by many not only for the great food you can find at ‘Ohana and Kona Cafe, but also for being the sole Disney World Resort serving Dole Whips!

Head over to Pineapple Lanai (you’ll find it outdoors just outside Captain Cook’s in the Great Ceremonial House — the former home to Dole Whip at the Polynesian) and you’ll discover a charming outdoor covered seating area where you can enjoy your Dole Whip with a view of Cinderella Castle in the distance.

Tiki Juice Bar, Hosted By Dole: Disneyland’s Adventureland

In Disneyland, the Tiki Juice Bar and all things Dole Whip are lovingly woven into the original Enchanted Tiki Room attraction (also presented by Dole, incidentally) queue area, which happens to consist of a really cool “pre-show,” which I won’t spoil for you.

Tiki Juice Bar in Disneyland — Menu

The menu here is simpler than those in Disney World — pineapple spear, Dole Whip, Dole Whip Float, Pineapple Juice, Fruit Bowl. No swirls or rum or anything here. Just pineapple as far as the eye can see. Which is OK with me, as I’m a pure pineapple sort of person when it comes to my Dole Whips. And I’m going to give you two images of the Dole Whip Float I ordered, both because it’s so cool (um…umbrella and cherry?!??!?! Hello, Disney World, are you watching?!?!), and because the second will give you a better view of the Tiki Juice Bar in the background.

Disneyland Dole Whip Float

Disneyland Dole Whip With Tiki Juice Bar in Background

And The Verdict Is…

They all taste the same. Well, of course they do! They all come from a Dole Whip Mix that Disney (and you!) can get from a place called Unified Enterprises Corp. I know, it’s not-so-magical, but at least it tastes good!

But, I will say that Disneyland 100% wins out on presentation. The addition of a little umbrella and a cherry wins big, monster points in my book. I am a big fan of both little umbrellas AND cherries.

Where’s your favorite place to get a Dole Whip or a Dole Whip Float? Let us know your experiences in the comments section of this blog, or visit us on facebook or twitter to voice your opinion on the mighty Dole Whip!

There are three places in Walt Disney World where you can order the coveted pineapple Pineapple Float: Aloha Isle in Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland, Captain Cook’s quick service restaurant at the Polynesian Resort, and here…Sunshine Tree Terrace, also in Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland. (Note: Sunshine Tree Terrace no longer serves Pineapple Dole Whip, but the Citrus Swirl is back as of early 2012.)

Sunshine Tree Terrace was an original fixture in Walt Disney World. With the Florida Citrus Growers (FCG) as a sponsor of the pavilion, this was the place to get orange juice and citrus-based concoctions, including the Citrus Swirl.

Sunshine Tree Terrace Open for Business

The FCGs’ Orange Bird mascot became a well-known fixture in Adventureland, and he appeared as both an audio-animatronic at Sunshine Tree Terrace and as a costumed character outside of the restaurant. The little Orange Bird has been removed from the restaurant’s decor in the years since the FCGs’ sponsorship expired in 1986.

Florida Citrus Growers' Orange Bird

Today, the Sunshine Tree Terrace is the place to get your pineapple float (a “dole whip float” with vanilla soft serve), along with other ice cream floats, slushes, milkshakes, and snacks. You can still get orange juice here, I’m happy to note.

Sunshine Tree Terrace Menu circa 2009

Sunshine Tree Terrace is probably open a bit a bit more often during the year than the other two restaurants highlighted in the “Is This Place Ever Open?” series, but it’s a seasonal restaurant and has rarely been open when I’ve been in the World.

Juice at Sunshine Tree Terrace

A lot of fantastic “vintage Disney” posts have been written about the Sunshine Tree Terrace and the Orange Bird recently, and I’m going to send you over to one of my favorite websites, Widen Your World, to read up on the extensive history of Sunshine Tree Terrace and its Adventureland surroundings.